Slack-adjuster.



J. o. MARS.

SLACK 'ADJUSTERl APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5,-1911.

` Patented May 6, lll

2 SHEETS-sung;

J. 0. MARS.v SLAGIS ADJUSTER.

APPL-1011121011 FILED SEPT. 5, 1911.

1,060,61 3. Patented May 6,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2v t--n-mzm y V WI 5555 [NVE/WOR;

- www@ JOHN OSBORNE MARS, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

SLACK-ADJUSTER.

Application led September 5, 1911. Serial No. M2687.,r

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1913.

To ZZ whom it may concern Be it known thatv I, JOHN OsBoRNE MARS, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slaelertljusters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to slack adjusters for railway brakes, a uniform piston travel in the brake cylinder,'the `device being radily adjustable to secure different piston travels, according to the circumstances of the case. lt is of great importance that a slack adjuster be readily adjustable in this manner, for when cars having slack adjuster-s areroupled up in a. train with other ears not so provided, 4the cars having the adjusters artI subjected to the brunt of the braking, which is obviously undesirable.

One purpose of my invention, therefore, is to provide an adjuster which may be set to give a variety of piston travel, and another is to so support and guide the parts that accuracy in their action will always be secured.

The preferred embodiments of theinvention are illustrated in the laccompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a 'plan view of a brake cylinder and part of the brake rigging of a' car, showing my slack adjuster applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section on the line Ab--b of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the actuating-bar guide and the turnbuckle; Fig. --l is a section on the line .fk-d of Fig. 3 Fig. 5 .is a section on the line e-e of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a partial plan View, similar to Fig. 1, showing a slightly modified arrangement of the mechanism.

In the drawings. 1 represents thebrake cylinder. and 2 the auxiliary reservoir, which are of any of the forms well known in the art. Y

3 is the piston-rod, and thrust-rod resting therein, all as well known in the art. The rod 4 is connected at 5 to the brake lever forming a part of the usual brakerigjging, the particular form of such rigging being immaterial.

T is a companion brake lever, the two levers 6 and 7 heilig connected by a tie-rod 8, which is adjustable in length by means of a turnbuckle 9. The rod 8 is a tension rod,

and the length of this rod determinesthe amount of slack m the brake rigging.

and is designed to secure -plunger in its 4 is the usual The turnbuckle 9 is provided at about its midlength with ratchet teeth 10, and journaled on the sleeve of the turnbu'ckle and surrounding the ratchet 10, is a Case or frame 11 carrying a pawl 12, which eo-acts 'with the ratchetl teeth l() so that the rocking of the case ll-will produce intermittent rotationof the turnbuckle 9. Case 11 is provided with a depending arm 13, toswhich is connected by a ball and socket joint 14, av

link 15. This link 15 is connected by a ball and socket joint 1G to the laterally extending arm 1T carried b v the plunger rod 18.

The above connections are such that longitudinal movements of the plunger 18 Will impart. a rocking motion to the case 1.1. The ball joints 14. and 16 permit limited longitudinal movement of the tie-rod 8 and its turnbuckle 9'.

Theplunger 18 i`s guided in a cylindrical guideway or box 19 formed in a guide-casting 20. y The box Ior guideway 19 is providedwith a cover 2 1, and contains a coiled spring 22 which I surrounds the plunger 18, and bears against a shoulder 23, to hold the inward position. The casting 20 is supported by a bracket 24 attached to the underframe of .the car, `and contains, in addition to the guideway 19, a second guideway 25, adapted to guide the longitudinal movements of the cam-bar 26. This cam-bar 26 has an inclined face 27 adapted to co-a'ct with the plunger 18,'and is. connected by i a pin ,2810 a bracket 29 which is clamped to the piston-rod 3, and moves therewith. A plurality of holes 30 is provided in the cambar 26, so that the adjustmentbf this bar with respect to the brake piston-rod may readily varied by withdrawing the'pin 28, and inserting it in a different hole 30."

Any suitable" rigid connection between-the bracket 29 and the piston-rod 3 may be used,

but I prefer the construction shown in Fig.

1. in which the bracket has a llange 51 threaded onto the outer face of the tubular piston-rod 3 and a boss 52 closely lit-ting the interior thereof. The thrust-rod 4 passes through the opening formed in the bracket 29 and bears against the end of the tubular iston-rod, as is usual.l

ln the modification illustrated in Fig. 6,

' and the the bracket 29 isdispensed witg, cam-'bar 26 is offset, as shown at 3 A number of holes 32am provided, and an adjustable pin connection thereby afforded with the lever 6. ata-point adjacent-the con- 1G Q6 will co-a'ctwith the plunger 18, and force 35 the'travel of the brake nection 5 between the rod ia and said lever. rl`he rodeta in this case is the pistoii-rod and is directly connected to the piston so that the release spring ot' the brake cylinder may act to impart the reverse movement to the cambar 26;

lVheii the piston-rod 3 moves forward to ap plv the brakes, the cam-bar 26 moves forward with it, and if the travel oit the piston is excessive, the cam surface 27 of the bar it outward against the stress ot-thespriiig 22.

clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. li, so

-that the pawl 12 will ride over and engage a new tooth of the ratchet 10. i Then the brakes are released., the reverse'movement of B the brake piston causes a reverse lmovement of the cam-bar 26, and the spring' 22 forces Vthe-'plunger 18 to its original position, and

. 'rotates the turnbuckle 9 slightly in a dire-ction to take up the slack. l This action will be repeated each time the brakes arev applied and released until the travel of the piston is limited to the proper amount, at which time the'cain surface 27 will notmove the plunger 18 far enough for the paWl 12 to engage a' new tooth on the ratchet l0. The length of .travel is quickly adjusted by inserting the pin 28 in a different hole 30. y

The action of the structure shown in Fig.

` 6 is similar andvis adjustable in substantially the same manner.

The adva'ntages'of the construction above set forth are., first, the ready adjustability of piston; selcond, the

positive. guiding of the cam-bar and finally, the factthat the operation of the ad' juster is 'not effected by the releasespring of thev brake cylinder, but by any independent i spring 22, so that if the ydevice should vbecome disabled,';it will not interfere with the l application and release of the brakes.' For instance, if the turnbuekle sleeve should become so rusted asA to refuse t0'- turn, the

plungerlS will be forced outwardly, and wil-l'then remain-ln thatfposition, permitting the brakes to function in the usual manner even though the adjuster' isinoperative. The

action of the adjuster is notl dependent on a movement. of the tiero d8,;but the parts are so designed as toperinit, the-.necessary movements of that rod.

i, -...The mechanism is so related tothe brake .piston that'itsactioi'i isdeternii-ned directly .and solely bythe lengtl" o'ftravel of said piston, and not-.bytheinovcnient of Somerelated part, as'the' tie-rod.A Having thus described my,iiiventioni\'hat I claim is The coiiobii'iationV o-fia brake'cylinder; 'a' i frame; a cani-bar guided iii the guide-frame;

an adjustable connection lbetyv'een the cam'- bar 'and the piston-rod; a plunger mounted This will rock the casevll in a countersI in the guide-frame and adapted to be moved by excessive movements of the cam-bar; a spring 'opposing the movement of the plunger; suit-ablev brake rigging in operative relation with the piston rod; a threaded member adapted to adjust the slack in the brake rigging; a. pawl and ratchet mechanism adapted to rotate the threaded member; and operative connections bet-Ween ther adapted to rotate the threaded member in a direction to take up the slack; and operativeconnections between the plunger and the ratchet mechanism.'

3. The'combination of a' brake' cylinder;

a piston and piston-rod therein; -a bracket attached to th'episton-rod; a fguide frame; f j

a cam-bar guided in theguide-frame and provided with a'plurality of'lioles; a pin passed through one or another of saidv holes and engaging the bracket, wherebyaii adjustable connection between the barjand thebracket is obtained; brake rigging in operatlve relation with -thepiston-rod; a threadlao ed member adapted to adjust the slack in t the brake rigging; adapted to rotate the threaded member in a direction to take up the slack; and arecip# movements of thecain-bar, supported bythe supporting fra-nie, and 'connected to theV ratchet mechanism to actiiate the latter.

l-. The combination of 'a brake cylinder;

a piston and li'iisto'n-rod therein;suitable.

a vratchet mechanism rocating mechanism actuated by excessive v brake rigging, in operative relation :with-the .f1

piston rod; a guide-frame; a reciprocating l member guided by the giiide-frainel and p rO-, vided with an' inclined face; il .dllustablev conf,

neet-ions 'between thereciprocating' member andthe pist-on rod; .a .secondi'reciprocating ing member when it movesl an excessive distance; a ratchet mechanism adapted `totakeup slack in the brake rigging; and'operative vcoiinections between the' second reciprocating memberV and the ratchetmechanism.

5.` The combination ofA .a brake cylinder;

ging including a tension ro d,'and opera- -meinber'adapted to befengaged' and moved l I' by. thel inclined faceof the-first reciprocat-v f apiston-andpiston-rod therein; brake rigl tivelyrel'ated to the piston-rod5 a .Qiiide-A i t'raiiieg, af cambar gui-.led inA t-he r gu'idelj trame; adjustable connectionsbetween the cam-bar and the piston-rod;v a pllnger mounted in the guide-frame, and -adapted to be moved by excessive movements of the cam-bar; a'spring opposing such movement of the plunger; a turn-buckle adapted to adjust the length of the tension rod 5' .a ratchet mechanism .adapted to turn the turn-buckle in a direction to shorten the tension rod; and operative connections between the plunger andthe ratchet mechanism:

6. The combination of a brake cylinder; a piston and piston-rod therein; a guideframe; a cam-bar guided in the guideframe; an adjustable connection between the cam-bar and the piston-rod; a plunger mounted in the guide-frame and adapt-ed to I be moved by excessive movements ot' the cam-bar; a spring opposing the movement. of the plunger; suitable brake rigging in operative relation with the Apiston rod; a threaded member adapted to adjust the slack inv the brake rigging; a pawl and ratchet mechanism adapted to rotate the threaded member; and a link having ball and socket connections with the plunger and with the ratchet mechanism.

7. The combination of an air brake cylinder having a tubular piston-rod; suitable brake mechanism actuated thereby; a slack adjusting mechanism for thc brake mechanism; av bracket arm threaded on the end of the piston rod and having a boss extending into its end; and operative connections bef tween the bracket arm and the slack adjusting mechanism.

, In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN OSBORNE MAR-S. vWitnesses CoRNELiU-s J. CAREY, F. H. Konsrnns. 

